Evolution of Type, Exhibit 17 & 19

Evolution of Type suggests the organic origin of letters.

"Or, to illustrate still further, the picture of a leaf would become the sign for the syllable 'leaf' wherever it might occur, and the picture of a bee would become the syllable 'be' the pictures together forming the word 'belief.' The picture of the bee would then cease to represent the insect and would represent only the syllable 'be,' and the picture of a leaf would no longer signify leaf or foliage; the pictures would have become purely phonetic symbols, expressing words as well as ideas, the next step in their evolution toward real writing."